Read Flushed for Free Online Page A

and sat in his climbing
harness to give her tension on the rope. Shawna released the plastic holds on
the wall and dangled by her harness, securely clipped to the rope’s other end.
Between Shawna and him, the rope ran over a big metal pipe in the ceiling over
Shawna’s head.
    Kim said, “I’ll bring you down. Spread your legs for me.”
    She giggled at his unintentional innuendo, but she did it.
Kim decided this would be her last fall today. “Bend your knees, Shawna. Tell
me about the fall.”
    She bent her knees and Kim began the process of reeling in
rope with his left hand and pulling it through the tuber device that helped him
control her fall with his right.
    “My leg started shaking,” she said. She swung gently from
the rope as Kim lowered her.
    “What’s that a sign of?”
    “I’m tired?” She swung closer to the wall. Her feet struck
it and she steadied herself with the sticky soles of her climbing slippers. She
was only four feet up. Kim held her anchor steady as she walked her way down to
the floor.
    “You wasted energy, standing on your toes when you didn’t
have to. Heels stay down.”
    “I thought I was,” she said. Perspiration shone on her face.
She sounded pouty, and not of the fun, Isabelle Caine faux-pouty variety. Which
was probably a good thing.
    “Belay off,” he said automatically, concluding the climb. He
unlocked the brake and unclipped the carabiner that kept him anchored, coiling
the rope around the anchor bolt on the floor.
    “That’s all for today,” he said.
    She pulled the band off her ponytail and shook out her long
blonde hair. “Okay. Thanks, Kim.” She smiled.
    He was careful not to smile back. When he’d first taken
Shawna as a private student, she’d never missed an opportunity to flash skin or
make sure he’d have to touch her. Not only was she too young for him, he’d been
involved with Jules and he observed a strict code of one at a time. He couldn’t
tell Shawna. She’d never flat out propositioned him and he didn’t want to
insult her and lose her business. He also couldn’t use the convenient line
about not dating his students, which had worked well up until he’d dated
Jules—one of his students.
    In the absence of a response from him, Shawna had finally
given up—as long as he was careful. This frustrated, he’d have to be especially
careful.
    “Next time you’re in, spend time in the boulder garden,” he
said. “You won’t need anyone to spot for you in there and it’s a great way to
understand how your body is moving—and how you’re wearing yourself out.”
    “Okay.” She released the rope from her waist tie-in and
clipped it around the still-anchored top rope hanging slack from the ceiling.
The webbing of her climbing harness drew Kim’s eye back to her butt. Damon was
going to have to find space to install showers around here. Kim needed a cold
one.
    Focus.
    “Don’t push too hard. Take it slow,” he said and she nodded.
“Now get lost.”
    She giggled. Not exactly a cold shower, but helpful,
nonetheless.
    As soon as she’d gone, Kim was mobbed by questions from
other gym members. Scheduling mostly, a couple of safety issues about knots and
belay protocol, a stupid dispute over who had the right to climb a particular
route and the inevitable I’m-broke-can-I-pay-double-dues-next-month, which was
an issue only Damon, as owner, could answer.
    Technically, none of it was Kim’s problem. He was at Wall
Werx on a contract basis to teach a climbing basics class. He also took private
students, paying Damon for gym time for any lessons, like Shawna’s, taking
place at Wall Werx. Apparently, his status as teacher made him the go-to person
when Damon wasn’t around, which was damn often these days. Kim didn’t mind
except on days like this when his whole system screamed at him to chalk up and
pump plastic, something the guy in charge couldn’t do. No way could he climb
and ensure the safety of gym members at the same time.
    Kim